We're all Otaku, Can't We All Just Get Along?

I'm a little upset right now. Actually a lot upset. I felt that I really need to write a post about this and kind of get my feelings out there a bit.

So I was on Instagram last night and saw an image that someone posted. I can't find it now and I can't

remember exactly what it said, but it was basically someone in the Attack on Titan fandom berating another fan (and wishing they get eaten by a titan) simply because they didn't know that Shingeki no Kyojin was the Japanese name for the anime/manga.

In that person's mind, the other fan deserved death by titan because they didn't have the same level of knowledge. 

Do you realize how idiotic that is?

If someone shares your fandom why the hell would you disparage them!? If they lack the same level of knowledge as you, then enlighten them! Don't be an asshole. 

Someone is not an Otaku based on how much, or how little, they know about anime. They're otaku based on their love for anime, manga, and all things Japan. 

I know I made a post a while back talking about this very subject, but I feel it needs to be touched on again. In that post, I mention that being an Otaku is more than just how many anime you've watched. It's also more than how knowledgeable you are about Anime. 

Imagine a scenario where you come across someone who doesn't know that Princess Mononoke and My Neighbor Totoro were made by the same studio. They've never even heard the name Hayao Miyazaki. But they've still got a totoro hoodie, they've memorized all the lines in Japanese and English, they cosplayed Mononoke at the last con they went to. 

I admit, that scenario is kind of far fetched, but it's not implausible. Would you say that person is less of a fan than you are? 

Personally I'd embrace that person, compliment their cosplay, and introduce them to the rest of the Ghibli films. I'd share my knowledge with them which would not only benefit them, but potentially earn me a life long friend. 

We Otaku get picked on and misunderstood enough by people who don't understand us and our obsession. Try as we might, we're always going to be somewhat misunderstood by people who just haven't accepted that anime is more than a Japanese Cartoon. 

Why then should we isolate and push away people that actually share our fandom? Instead of telling someone they're not an Otaku because they've only ever watched Naruto, why don't you say "Hey, if you liked Naruto then I bet you'll like Fairy Tail as well."

If you make an effort to improve the people around you, your own life will be improved as well. 

I hope someone reads this and takes something away from what I've shared here today. I feel it's important, not only to Otaku but to everyone.